A mobile counterpart of 800poconos.com launches, providing key category lists from the main site.

JANUARY 2010

Work begins on new mobile design and text marketing initiatives under the direction of new mobile partner, Movitas. Site advantages include new technologies such as mapping features and improved navigation structure, resulting in an enhanced user experience.

FEBRUARY 2010

Partnership with NBC Universal in New York City (WNBC Channel 4), Philadelphia (WCAU Channel 10) and Scranton (WBRE Channel 28) develops with text mobile Winter Olympic updates. Users subscribe to NBC's short code and messaging is sponsored by the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau

At the conclusion of the Winter Olympic Campaign, all subscribers were sent a text to join the Pocono Mountains' text community. Interested subscribers would reply back "Yes" and were opted in to the network.

The text partnership between NBC Universal and the Pocono Mountains were supported with:

News Integration

Commercial Spots

Banner Advertisements

At the end of the text campaign, NBC Universal had 2,000 mobile numbers subscribe to the NBC Universal Pocono Mountains sponsored short code. A total of 560 (28%) participants joined the Pocono Mountains text community.

Pocono Mountains also sends first mobile offer, which had a 10% conversion rate for those who redeemed the offer.

JUNE 2010

Partnership with NBC Philadelphia kicks-off with summer weather sponsorship, designed similar to the Winter Olympics. The Pocono Mountains sponsors the short code of NBC Universal, increasing Pocono Mountains brand awareness to their subscribers. As a result of the campaign, the Pocono Mountains gained 200 new numbers who chose to stay connected.

News Integration

Commercial Spots

JULY 2010

In conjunction with Movitas, the new Pocono Mountains mobi site, 800poconos.mobi, launches. The design features enhanced user-friendly destination information including new mapping tools, seasonal special offers and events and social media integration.

Mobi users can also sign up for the Pocono Mountains text message community directly from the application on the new site.

The site content is automatically updated every 24 hours from 800poconos.com generated feeds. The new platform also allows the client (Pocono Mountains) to create and alter static content as well as manage text messaging.

Destination news begins channeling through the text message platform with the special announcement of table games opening at Mount Airy Casino Resort.

Also, the text campaign is integrated into local advertising, heightening the awareness of how to stay connected on a community level.

AUGUST 2010

A strategy is developed for communicating fall messaging to the community. Exclusive special offers would be sent to the community on Tuesdays and fall foliage forecasts on Thursdays.

September 2010

Expanding the outreach of the annual Fall Foliage Forecast, a mobile page was dedicated featuring a regional map with full color percentage, thorough explanation of changing species, suggested destinations to witness the vibrant foliage and important leaf peeping updates. The forecast was updated every Thursday, from the second week in September through the month of October, and could easily be found in the main navigation under Fall Fun.

NOVEMBER 2010

To take advantage of the ever-increasing popular trend of Black Friday, the Bureau started their first annual Black Friday Deals promotion. To increase its breadth, a page was created on the mobi site to allow mobile users to browse the more 35 offers, which were available to book one-day on November 26. Prior to date, a text message was sent to the PMVB mobile community featuring the page link and was featured prominently on the main navigation.

In conjunction with NBC Philadelphia, a strategy is developed for communicating messaging for the upcoming winter season to the community including a skicast and special offers.

DECEMBER 2010

Partnership with NBC Philadelphia for the winter season is designed similar to the summer weather sponsorship. The Pocono Mountains sponsors the short code of NBC Universal however, the new business code of PoconoSki was introduced, increasing Pocono Mountains brand awareness to their subscribers through a weekly forecast of ski area conditions and offers.

News Integration:

Commercial Spots:

In addition the Poconoski sub brand is also launched on short code 77950 promoting special ski offers. The use platform posters and train cards of the Long Island Railroad and NJ Transit promoted the texting program along with the use of a newly introduced QR code. An escalator banner at the King of Prussia mall during the holidays is used as well.

Finally, the Pocono Mountains continued to promote the traditional lodging offers through the Pocono Mountains general "Poconos" Id. A direct mobile sign up widget is developed and inserted on the 800poconos.com website home page, bringing the total to three ways visitors can join the Pocono Mountains text mobile community (SMS, mobi site and website).

JANUARY 2011

A Facebook mobile subscriber method is in initial stages of development.

MARCH 2011

Results as of mid March:

Business Id "Poconos" has 1200 mobi subscribers

Business Id "Pocono Ski" has 850 mobi subscribers

800Poconos.mobi in 2009 had an average of 2500 unique viewers, in March 2010 800Poconos.mobi has an average of 10,500 unique visitors (320% increase) with an average of 3 page views with half coming from New York Manhattan.